Pokemon Delta
by Magicanus
Summary: Fifteen years after the events of ORAS, Dennis finds himself in the middle of Route 101 with no memory of who he is. Now, as he travels through the Hoenn region, he must discover the truth behind his origins, before the entire region is destroyed... Rated T because of the occasional curse word and other stuff.
1. Awake

**Warning: If you have not played ORAS all the way to the Delta Episode, I suggest you either do or, if you can't, watch a playthrough. Some of the stuff mentioned will not make sense otherwise.**

 **Chapter One: Awake**

 _15 Years Ago, Mossdeep Space Center_

Steven Stone stood in the main control room, sighing in relief as he saw Mega Rayquaza shooting through the meteor and shattering it into pieces on the monitor. The former Hoenn Champion was glad everything had turned out alright in the end, even though he had been utterly devastated when Zinnia had foiled his plan of sending the meteor to another dimension at the time. Still, he didn't really blame her, considering her reasons for trying to stop it, and it worked out in the end. Although, he was going to have to track her down and make sure the authorities would deliver the proper punishment for her less than legal actions. Before that though, Steven would have to arrange many things with some people. This experience really showed the champion he didn't know as much as he thought...

"Hold on, everybody!" one of the scientists called out as he looked at his monitor, interrupting Steven's train of thoughts. "A strange energy source has just been detected from one of the meteor shards! Zooming in on it now!"

Looking up at the monitor again, Steven saw a strange triangular piece of the meteor show up on screen. Looking at it, Steven Stone's eyes widened in surprise as he saw several tentacles stretch out from either side of the stone before the rock shattered into pieces. Out of the meteor came Deoxys, a Pokemon Steven had only heard rumors, myths, and legends about. Clearly, the meteor was it's home, and judging by how it moved towards Rayquaza, it was pissed off.

When Rayquaza noticed the DNA Pokemon, it let loose a roar at it before launching itself in a Dragon Ascent at it. The powerful Flying type move crashed into Deoxys, yet it didn't seem to do much damage, catching the legendary dragon by surprise. Deoxys took advantage of this and fired a Psycho Boost at the Sky High Pokemon. The multicolored orb of psychic energy seemed to do far more damage than Dragon Ascent, but Rayquaza shook it off and roared as it turned around for another attack at Deoxys. Before it could reach the alien-like Pokemon, Deoxys fired a devastating Hyper Beam attack directly at Mega Rayquaza.

"Oh no..." Steven mumbled to himself in horror as he helplessly watched the Legendary Mega Pokemon disintegrate from the beam of pure energy, along with the person that rode on it..."No, no, no no no nonono..."

Once, Rayquaza and it's trainer had disappeared, Deoxys' face began to crack. The cracks spread along it's body, covering almost every inch of it. When the DNA Pokemon was almost unrecognizable from all the fissures, it broke apart, scattering into the void of space.

Stumbling over to a seat, Steven Stone slumped down into it, practically falling over into the swivel chair. The former champion's eyes were filled with nothing but despair, and he looked to be on the verge of a breakdown. Before he could however, Steven's gaze suddenly hardened as he pushed himself up into the chair. Now was not the time to grieve quite yet. There were things that needed to be straightened out.

Steven looked over at a robust man with brown hair and a beard wearing a lab coat, a green sweater, and khakis. He too was looking at the screen in horror at what had just happened. "Professor Birch," Steven Stone called out to the man, who turned to the former champion. "What is the status of Brendan's Pokemon?"

"I..uh..." Professor Birch stuttered before clearing his throat. "Well, he sent his Pokemon back into the PC through the Champion Watch just before he went into space with Rayquaza. I suppose he thought it would be safer going in without them."

Steven nodded, already guessing this was what Brendan did. He was well known for putting his Pokemon's safety above his own. "Contact Lanette and have her transfer ownership of Brendan's Pokemon to Norman. Speaking of which could you also contact him and Mrs. Ruby? I know you don't want to be the bearer of bad news, so if you don't want to..."

Professor Birch looked absolutely terrified at the prospect of telling Norman about his son's death, but he took a deep breath and shook his head. "No, I have to be the one to tell him. It is kind of my fault that this happened."

"No, Birch," Steven said, his gaze softening. "You were simply the one who gave Brendan his starter. What he did after that was choice and his choice alone. And in the eyes of Hoenn, he will forever be a hero for it."

"I suppose," the Pokemon Professor said with an unconvinced look before walking over to the stairs of the space center. Once he was gone, Steven pulled out a phone and dialed a number. The phone rang a few times before stopping, and an indistinguishable voice could be heard from it.

"Hello Wallace," Steven replied to the voice. "I need to see you at the Hall of Fame. When can you be there?" Steven listened as Wallace replied before saying, "Alright, I'll see you then."

As soon as Wallace hung up, Steven leaned back in his chair and thought about all that had happened over the past month. It was certainly a lot to take in, what with Team Magma and Aqua, the incident with Groudon and Kyogre, his defeat at the hands of Brendan, the meteor, Zinnia's plan to stop it and to ruin his own idea(which still agitated him to no end), Brendan catching Rayquaza, and finally...what just happened. With all of this in mind, the former, now the current, champion of Hoenn laid his head into his heads and let the tears run over his face.

Not even ten feet away, a brown-haired female scientist stood looking at the screen. She, like all the other scientists, wore a pristine white lab coat, along with a green shirt, a yellow skirt, and sky-blue tinted glasses. Her eyes, a unique shade of violet, showed no horror, sadness, or surprise as she replayed in her mind what had just happened. Rather, the intent light of curiosity shined in her eyes as she muttered the word "Deoxys..." before, turning towards the stairs and walking down them...

 _Present Day, Hoenn Route 101_

In Route 101 of Hoenn, a red haired boy that looked to be about fifteen was slumped up against a tree with his eyes closed. The teenager was dressed in a red, short-sleeved shirt with black vertical lines across the front, blue jeans, red and white sneakers, a black cap, and a silver necklace. Beside him was a backpack with a red and blue Pokeball design on the front. As the boy lay there, his eyes suddenly snapped open to reveal green irises which looked around in surprise. Getting up, the boy rubbed his head before looking around.

"Where am I?" the red-haired teenager said out loud before realizing something else. "Wait, who am I?"

 _Dennis,_ a voice suddenly whispered in his mind.

"What?" the boy said in shock. "Dennis? Where did that come from? Is that my name?"

This time, no mysterious voice answered him. " _Great, it's going to be one of those "self-discovery" things,"_ he thought with a sigh. " _Well, I guess it's good that I got my name at least. And hey, one of my traits is being optimistic. Probably going to get annoying, but it's something."_

Suddenly, Dennis heard some rustling in the grass before a Poochyena leaped out and tackled him to the ground and growled at him.

 _Poochyena, the Bite Pokemon. It savagely threatens foes with bared fangs. It chases after fleeing targets tenaciously. It turns tail and runs, however, if the foe strikes back._

 _"What does that even mean!?"_ Dennis thought as the voice spoke in his head again.

 _It means shut up and slap it, you idiot._

Heeding the voices advice despite it's attitude, Dennis slapped the Poochyena across the muzzle, sending it flying across the grass. However, instead of running away like the voice said, the Poochyena got up and continued to growl at Dennis as it's fangs suddenly glowed an icy-blue and emitted a cold mist.

 _"Um voice guy, why isn't it running away like you said it would?"_

 _Analyzing. Ability to use Ice Fang attack. Brave and courageous behavior. Abnormally enhanced intelligence. Conclusion: subject has Stoutland ancestry._

 _"English please!"_

 _RUN!_

Dennis didn't need to be told that twice. He bolted in the opposite direction, which the voice told Dennis was south. He expected that the Poochyena would pursue, although he didn't dare look back. If he had, he might have noticed that the Poochyena wasn't chasing him. As the voice said, she had advanced intelligence(although she couldn't have known what the voice had said), and she knew better than to go into Littleroot Town. In fact, her intelligence wasn't even needed to know that. Anybody with a brain and a will to live avoided Littleroot Town. Though, it wasn't called that anymore. Rather, it was appropriately renamed the Monster's Village...

 _ **A/N**_

Hey everybody! Glad you could read my story! This was created while I was trying (and failing) to finish a story for my friend, DayDreamingDragon220, so I'm hoping this makes up for that, especially since it's written in her honor. Make sure to look her up on deviantart and give her a good comment. She is a very talented artist that I think a lot of you will like, especially if you also like Skylanders, though she's done more than that. Anyway, this is actually the very first Pokemon fanfic that I have ever written. I'm really hoping that this will turn out good, and any favorites, follows, reviews, or advice that you guys could give me would be very much appreciated. I just want to say one thing though; no ship wars. I know how people can be about that, and there will be some ships that some people like and some people dislike, and all I ask is that everybody try to keep an open mind and consider reading this not for the ships, but rather the story, because that's what this mainly focuses on. Just respect my ships, I'll respect yours, and we can all just get along in this great fandom we call Pokemon!

This will be updated at least once a week. If not every two or three, so until then, stay magical(yes I have my own sign off lol)!


	2. The Littleroot Beast

**Chapter Two: The Littleroot Beast**

 _Littleroot Town_

After running for a while, Dennis finally stopped to catch his breath, gasping for air. Looking behind him, Dennis noticed that the Poochyena was no longer chasing him. He also noticed that there were several buildings in front of him and that he was leaning against a sign that read "Littleroot Town"

 _"Hey voice. What is this place?"_

 _First of all, my name is Dexil. I meant to properly introduce myself before, but then I detected that Poochyena's presence and decided to disable your ability to talk out loud temporarily. As for this place, this is Littleroot Town, a town in Hoenn infamous for being the home of Professor Birch, the leader of the Petalburg Gym Norman Ruby, and his son, Brendan Ruby, who is the Hoenn champion. However, it would appear that my data is outdated as I see no signs of human life and all of the houses are in a state of disrepair. We must find a source of information if we are to safely continue throughout the region._

 _"Well, that does explain why my voice doesn't seem to work. Anyway, why do we need to know anything about this region? What are we even supposed to do?"_

 _Our objective is to defeat all Gym Leaders from what my programming tells me. Clearly, we were meant to challenge the League. However, further details of our mission have been erased. This is also why we need a source of updated information. From searching our mind, we apparently have lost almost all of our memories. The only thing you have is your name, gender identification, sexuality, and knowledge of how your body works and your personal, physical strength. The only thing I have is my name as well, along with apparently outdated information of Hoenn, it's Pokemon, and it's more significant human inhabitants. Therefore, we must create a customized mission of our own to find out who we are._

 _"Alright, I can see why a source of information would be important then. But first, can I have my voice back?"_

 _Certainly. However, I advise you to be silent. We don't know what could be here..._

" _Okay, Dexil."_ Dennis thought as he felt his ability to speak return before he looked around. There were three buildings, each one in a state of disrepair and covered in vines, and the one to his right even had a large hole in it. The one to the left wasn't as bad, but it still didn't look like it would have anything that could help him. The final building, however, looked to be some sort of lab.

 _Very accurate guess, Dennis. That is indeed the lab, or rather, the former lab of Professor Birch. It will most certainly have a computer that is connected to the internet and the PC, and perhaps a Pokedex, which would certainly help us in our mission. It is advised that you proceed with caution though._

 _"Noted"_ Dennis thought before he walked between the two houses, being sure to carefully watch for anything suspicious. He wasn't careful enough though, for he didn't notice something come out of the hole in the house on his right, which stared out at him with eyes that were filled with anger and malice...

 _Littleroot Pokemon Lab_

The inside of the lab was an absolute mess. Books were scattered across the floor, and supplies had fallen out of a nearby desk, which was turned over on it's side. Clearly, the lab had been abandoned in haste a long time ago, the inhabitants obviously not having time to get out in an organized fashion. Dennis briefly wondered what could have scared everybody off, but dismissed this thought once Dexil pointed out that there was a computer ahead. Walking between the two empty bookshelves, Dennis saw a laptop on a desk over to the left, a strange machine that neither he or Dexil knew the purpose of, and a table with a strange object to the right. Dennis walked over to the computer, deciding to look at the object after he got done with the problem of the computer.

 _"So how do we do this exactly?"_

 _Simply take the necklace you're wearing and place the crystal on it near the slot in the laptop's right side._

Dennis looked down at the object around his neck with surprise. Clearly, he didn't notice it until just now. The silver necklace was made up of a string of small circles that wrapped around his neck. Directly in the middle of it was a larger ring with a small, multicolored orb that connected to a small, intricate piece of metal that held a long, dark-purple crystal by several, vine-like strands of silver that crossed each other in an intricate pattern. Taking it off, Dennis placed the purple crystal near the slot on the side of the laptop, then jumped back as the crystal suddenly morphed itself into a rectangular shape that could fit into the hole, the lines of silver changing to hold it appropriately. He was even more surprised when the necklace, instead of falling onto the desk like he expected, levitated itself over into the slot and fit itself into it. Once it was in the slot, the open laptop suddenly turned on, showing several images flashing across the screen too fast for the eye to follow.

 _Excellent, the information is being gathered together at an acceptable pace. It will take approximately five minutes._

 _"Alright, I'm going to go look at this thing over here,"_ Dennis thought as he walked over to the table, and looked at the sphere on it. It was small enough to fit Dennis' hand comfortably, and was divided into two halves. The top side was red, while the bottom was white, and there was a small white circle in the middle.

 _That's a Pokeball. It's used to catch and contain Pokemon. It is a pivotal part of a trainer's journey. Judging by the labs database, this one contains a Torchic, the usual fire type starter of Hoenn. It is level 5, male, has a brave nature, is able to use Growl, Scratch, and Ember, and...has been in there for fifteen years._

 _"Fifteen years?!"_ Dennis thought in alarm. _"Is he okay? I mean, would something like that hurt him or something?"_

 _No need to worry. Pokeballs act as sort of cryogenic freezing chambers. They maintain the health of any Pokemon in them, making them immune to any disease with some exceptions such as the Pokerus. If the Torchic is let out, he will not have aged a day. The only case of a Pokemon dying in a ball is when the Pokeball was crushed, and that can only happen under extreme pressure nowadays. However, if we are to complete our mission, it would be extremely to have a Pokemon._

 _"Would he even listen to me if I took him with me though? I mean, he doesn't know me in any way, shape, or form."_

 _I will be able to create a basic trainer card for you from this laptop. Luckily, this computer specialized to do both that and register Pokemon and their balls to a trainer's card, so he should listen to whatever command you give in battle. Outside of that, he will only listen to you if you gain his trust. I suggest you talk with him and explain the situation to him. You should have enough time. I need only two more minutes to finish gathering the information we need._

 _"Sounds like a plan."_ Dennis said before holding up the Pokeball, and pressing the small button on it, letting out the orange, chicken-like Pokemon with a small pop, which looked around the abandoned lab in confusion before focusing on Dennis.

"Hi there little man, my name's Dennis," Dennis said to the Torchic as he crouched down, feeling only slightly ridiculous talking to a Pokemon. "Listen, I know you're probably very surprised to see...this," Dennis said before waving his hand around the room. "But just know that I'm just as confused as you are about all this. So I guess since neither of us know what's going on, we can help each other to find out," he said with a small chuckle

The Torchic tilted his head and chirped questioningly in a clear sign that he didn't fully understand what Dennis was talking about exactly.

"Yeah, I guess I should explain it more fully," the red-haired boy replied, realizing that the Pokemon was asking him to elaborate. "Well, the thing is, and don't freak out on me here, you were apparently in this Pokeball for fifteen years."

To say the Torchic was surprised was an understatement. His eyes widened in disbelief as he tried to comprehend this shocking news.

"Yeah, I know, it's really surprising," Dennis said as he tried to calm down the chicken-like Pokemon. "But I'm sort of in a situation like yours. I have absolutely no memories of who I am, and the only thing I have is an annoying voice in my head that talks really weirdly most of the time."

 _HEY!_

Dennis ignored Dexil and continued speaking with the Torchic. "I realize that you don't really have anybody to tell you what fully happened though, so I'd like it if you could come with me so that we can figure it out together. What do you say?" Dennis asked, holding out his hand. The Torchic stared at Dennis for a few seconds, considering his offer, before smiling(or as much as he could with a beak), put one of his talons in Dennis' hand, and shook it slightly, chirping as he did so.

"Great to have you aboard," Dennis said with a smile. "Do you have a name?"

The Torchic tilted his head to the side before shaking his head no.

"Then I guess I should give you one," Dennis replied before taking a moment to think about it. "How about...Markus."

Torchic considered this name for a few seconds, chirping quietly to himself, presumably saying Markus in his own Pokemon language, before nodding vigorously in agreement.

"Alright, Markus it is then," Dennis grinned.

 _Where did you get a name like Markus from?_

 _"Where did you get a name like Dexil from?"_ Dennis thought back.

 _Touche. Anyway, I've finished gathering all the data we could possibly need and I'm afraid we must get out of this town as quickly as we possibly can._

 _"Why?"_

 _Well, I found out there's a reason this town was abandoned._ Dexil then proceeded to talk about what we had discovered, Dennis' eyes growing wide with surprise and fear with every word.

" _Oh no, we need to haul it out of here then,"_ Dennis thought before looking back down at Markus, who was watching Dennis with confusion during the entire mental conversation between the two that he had no idea about. "Alright Markus, I just heard from my friend that there's something very dangerous going on here, so we need to get out of here as fast as we can. So I'm going to need to return you to your Pokeball for a while, alright?" Markus looked up at Dennis with concern, but nodded yes after a second. Dennis then pointed the Pokeball at the chicken-like Pokemon, which was zapped back in with a small red laser. Once inside, the Pokeball shrunk down to a size small enough that the boy could place it in his pocket. Dennis then got up and walked over to the computer where his necklace was, along with a small plastic card showing some information about him, most of which he knew from Dexil to be fake, sticking out of a larger yet narrower slot in a small device next to the laptop. He grabbed both of these things, putting his necklace back around his neck and the trainer card in his right pocket along with Markus' Pokeball.

 _"You made sure to register Markus to the card, right?"_

 _Of course. I also registered five Pokeballs to it as well which are in that machine over to your right. Apparently, that's what it's used for. If we're going to challenge the league, we'll need more than Markus._

 _"I understand,"_ Dennis replied before walking over to the machine, sliding the blue glass over, grabbed five shrunken down Pokeballs, and placed them in his other pocket. The red-haired teenager then walked between the bookshelves to the door. Before he could reach it though, he suddenly heard a rumbling growl from outside. He immediately changed direction, putting his back against the wall at the side of the entrance that the door wasn't blocking and glanced out of it from the side. From there saw a large, blue...thing that was almost as big as the lab itself looking around the area in front of the lab.

 _"Dexil, what is that?"_

 _Unknown. Subject's general features resemble a Swampert, but it's shape is completely different. It does however match the reports that were given of the monster that I spoke of before._

 _"Okay. So what do the reports say about it's senses?"_

 _Survivors of the Littleroot Incident reported that it's hearing, sight, and smell were very poor. However, many hypothesized that it had a unique sense of..._

Dexil was suddenly interrupted by the beast roaring into the sky before grabbing the walls of the lab and ripping the entire front of it clean off the ground to reveal Dennis.

 _...heat-detection..._

The beast then threw the entire wall off to the side where it shattered into many pieces and then roared at Dennis as he turned around to see the monster raising one of it's massive fists to strike him down. Bracing himself for the strike, Dennis put his hands above his head and closed his eyes, praying for a quick and painless death as he waited for the crushing weight of doom...But it never came. Instead, Dennis heard a small popping noise coming from his pocket, followed by a just as small growl. Opening his eyes, Dennis saw Markus standing in front of the monster growling at him.

"Markus...?" the red-haired boy said with just as much shock and confusion as the beast in front of them had on it's face.

It tilted it's head to the side as it clearly wondered whether this Torchic was extremely brave or extremely stupid. Either way, he didn't seem to fear it, which apparently amused it to no end as he made a laughing noise that sounded like an avalanche before glowing with rainbow colored light and shrinking down into a smaller form.

 _So it was a Swampert,_ Dexil spoke in Dennis' mind as both they and Markus looked at the monster in confusion, which walked past them and went back into the hole in the house it apparently came from. Dennis meanwhile stood in complete shock at what had just happened as his Torchic jumped up and down in a victory dance, apparently very proud of, in his mind, scaring away the monster.

 _So...we should probably get going now..._

 _"Agreed,"_ Dennis confirmed, snapping himself out of his reverie to pull Markus' Pokeball out and send him back inside. He then ran as fast as he could through the town and back into Route 101, not pausing to look back even once...

 _Brendan's House_

Swampert crawled back into the house through the hole, still chuckling from the Torchic's courage. When he evolved, he would make a fine battler, and Swampert was secretly hoping that trainer would get strong enough to challenge him. _"Although,"_ Swampert thought as he looked at one corner of the room. _"I wouldn't mind if he didn't either. I rather like my life as it is without any disturbances."_ Over in the corner of the room the giant Mud Fish Pokemon was looking, a Meganium was laying down sleeping, not disturbed by the noise Swampert made earlier, next to several green and blue eggs. A Torkoal was also sleeping nearby, using his Flame Body ability to warm the eggs up. Above them, a Togekiss was sitting down on top of a cabinet, watching over them both. When the white, bird-like Pokemon noticed Swampert, he smiled and waved with his wing in greeting at the large, blue Pokemon, who nodded back. In the other corner, an Absol sat at the base of the stairs, diligently watching the entrance to the house without even a single blink.

Looking at each of these Pokemon, all of which he had for so long considered his family, Swampert again thought of the trainer he had seen earlier, and he found the more he thought about him, the less he seemed to be able to think about anything else. There was something about that trainer, how he had been able to gain that Torchic's trust that it would have attacked something as big as him, that made him remember another trainer, one who gained his trust just as easily...

Coming to a decision, Swampert walked out of the house and made a strange sound that echoed through the forest, yet could not be heard by the human ear. A few minutes later, a giant silver and gold Metagross landed in front of him, having levitated out of the nearby forest. It made a mechanical sound that seemed to question why Swampert had called it there. Swampert replied in his own more organic and rumbling voice, explaining all that had happened that day, and what he wanted Metagross to do. Metagross nodded before disappearing, vibrating it's body so fast that it could not be seen, then proceeded to float over to Route 101.

Swampert, satisfied with his decision, went back inside and laid down on the other side of the pile of eggs, closing his eyes and letting exhaustion take him into his dreams...

 _ **A/N**_

It's as though a million feels all cried out at once, and were silenced. And yes, I put that egg scene there simply to pull at your heartstrings. Aren't I evil? XD Anyway, most of you probably guessed what would happen last chapter, and for those who didn't...well, I don't really know what to say. If it's not obvious by now that the Pokemon in Littleroot Town are Brendan's, then...there you go. Yeah, Brendan. You know, that guy who DIED in the first chapter along with Rayquaza from a Hyper Beam from Deoxys? Most of you probably don't remember that, so I was just reminding you all. After all, that particular plot point is going to be explored later on. And noo, he's not going to have miraculously survived. A human can't survive a Hyper Beam. A Pokemon could, but a human can't. Also, just to clear things up, this is not based on any of my runs from ORAS. This is all stuff that's happening in my mind. I don't actually have a Torchic with a Brave nature in my game. I've always been more inclined to Sceptile, and yes, that also means Brendan's team isn't my own either.

Before I go, I'd like to thank WriterBaboon for reviewing.

Anyway, until the next chapter, stay magical.


	3. New Friends

**Chapter Three: New Friends**

 _Hoenn Route 101_

Dennis continued running through the route until he slipped on a root and fell face-first into the grass.

 _Ooh, that's gotta hurt._

Ignoring Dexil, Dennis got back up, spitting dirt and grass as he did so, and looked around. He recognized it as the place he woke up, shown by the backpack he had left behind in his haste to get away from the Poochyena. Getting up, the red-haired boy walked over to the bag and grabbed it. After a quick look inside revealed nothing more than a potion and a few changes of clothes that looked exactly like what he was wearing, Dennis zipped the bag up and slung it over his shoulders. Looking up into the sky, he noticed that it was starting to get dark and he decided to walk the rest of the way through the route.

 _"Hey, Dexil. What's the next town?"_

 _Oldale Town. It's a rather bland town it seems considering how few articles I found on it, but it does at least have a Pokemon Center and a Pokemart. We should be able to stock up on some supplies there and sleep at the Center for the night. Also, I must ask that you don't mention me to any humans._

 _"What? Why?"_

 _I prefer to remain secret to those who can't help us in our mission, and the only ones who can is you, me, and whatever Pokemon we catch along the way. No one else comes to mind._

 _"Alright, then I won't mention you to anybody. Although, now I get the feeling that you're hiding somethi..."_

Dennis' thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a chorus of barks that sounded from up ahead, followed by a Poochyena that darted past him and hid behind his legs, catching Dennis by surprise. Before he could react, a pack made up of five more Poockyenas ran into the clearing, albeit more slowly than the one behind Dennis, and growled at the them.

" _Um, Dexil, what's going on?"_

 _It appears that we have been caught in the middle of a Yena Banishment Ritual._

 _"Banishment Ritual? That doesn't sound too bad."_

 _Banishment as in banishment from life._

 _"Oh. Well, should we do something?"_

 _I'm afraid we don't have a choice. If the Poochyena is using us as a shield, then this pack will try to tear us apart no matter what we do._

 _"Then I guess we have to fight,"_ Dennis thought as he pulled Markus' Pokeball out and released him. Once the Torchic saw the Poochyena, he immediately assumed a battle position and waited for Dennis' orders.

"Alright, Markus," Dennis said. "Use Ember!"

 _Wait Dennis! We're in a...!_

Before Dexil could finish his sentence, Markus fired an Ember attack at all five of the Poochyenas. The fire attack, while fairly weak at the Torchic's level, was more than enough to light the pack of dark-type's fur. They then proceeded to run around the clearing in a panic, lighting the trees around them on fire as well.

 _...forest...Nevermind._

 _"Oh god, this is bad. We have to get out of here,"_ Dennis said before returning Markus to his Pokeball. He then began running north to the next town until he heard whimpering from behind him. Turning around, Dennis saw the Poochyena from before holding up it's right hind leg up, which seemed to be wounded, and whimpering as it looked around the clearing with fear in it's eyes. When Dennis saw this, he immediately ran over to the Poochyena and picked it up.

 _What are you doing?_

 _"We can't just leave it behind!"_ Dennis thought as he continued to run north with the Poochyena in his arms.

 _You know kindness like this will get you killed, right?_

 _"Maybe, but not having kindness will get others killed!"_

Dennis continued running to Oldale Town, all the while, the forest burned behind him...

 _Oldale Town, Upstairs Pokemon Center_

Dennis woke up in a bed in the sleeping quarters of the Pokemon Center. Laying asleep at the foot of the bed was the Poochyena he had rescued last night, who's paw was fully healed thanks to the Nurse Joy downstairs. Although the nurse clearly figured out that the forest fire from last night was caused by him and Markus, but she still allowed him to stay the night. He was actually the only one who was using the sleeping quarters, which he found strange but didn't put much thought into it. The red-haired boy sat up, which woke up the Poochyena as well. Getting up off the bed, Dennis looked over at the Dark type Pokemon.

 _"Alright, now we need to decide what to do with her."_

 _Decide? We don't need to decide. We just need to release it into the wild and be done with it._

 _"Weren't you the one who said we needed more Pokemon? Besides she would die out there on her own, especially if her former pack is after her."_

 _That's exactly why we need to release it. If we bring it along, that pack of Poochyena's will be after us._

 _"So you don't think that we can handle a couple of Poochyenas when we have a Pokemon that becomes a Fighting type when it evolves?"_

Dexil was silent for a few moments at this before he sighed in defeat. _Fine, we'll take it with us._

 _"Thank you,"_ Dennis thought before focusing back on the Poochyena, who was looking at him with a bored expression. "Sorry about that. I was just having a conversation with the annoying voice in my head. My name's Dennis, just so you know. Anyway, after a debate with him, we've decided to offer you a spot on our team, so what do you say?"

The Poochyena seemed to consider his offer before nodding.

"Awesome," Dennis grinned, taking out one of his Pokeballs. "Now, I'm going to have to name you, so I was thinking Alice. What do you think?"

The Poochyena shrugged with indifference at the suggestion, clearly not caring either way.

"Alice it is then," Dennis said before tapping the Pokeball on Alice's forehead. The ball opened up, sucking the Poochyena inside, then it shook in his hands a couple of times before stopping with a small beep. "Alright. This is actually my first catch now that I think about it."

 _It's also the first Pokemon that you can remember seeing._

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _Female, level 5, Serious Nature, knows Tackle, Growl, and ICE FANG._

 _"So you're saying that she's the Poochyena that attacked us when I woke up yesterday?"_

 _YES!_

 _"Well, I don't see why that should matter. I mean, she clearly wants to go with us. Maybe it's to make up for trying to kill us."_

 _Whatever. I'm still keeping my eyes on it._

 _"Your eyes are mine."_

 _SHAD UP!_

 _Downstairs Pokemon Center_

"Thanks again for letting me stay here Nurse Joy," Dennis said as he walked out of the Pokemon Center. "Sorry for burning down the forest around Route 101."

"I knew that was you!" Nurse Joy replied with a frown. "But I guess you shouldn't really worry about it. Nobody's ever really gone to Route 101 since the Littleroot Incident, and a fire like that wouldn't really fatally harm any of the Pokemon there. Take my word for it when I say I've seen Pokemon go through worse. They'll be back up and biting each other in a few days."

"Well that's a relief," Dennis said with a strange look on his face.

"Besides, it's pretty common for beginning trainers with Fire types to cause something like this," the pink-haired nurse continued. "You're just lucky you didn't harm or kill any humans. The last time something like that happened, oh boy I don't even want to think about it. Also, it's the company policy of Nurse Joy Inc. to assist any trainers no matter what they've done."

"Good to know," Dennis replied, the look still on his face, which Nurse Joy noticed.

"Um, what's with the weird look?" she asked.

"Oh sorry," Dennis said, realizing what he was doing. "It's just...I kind of expected you to say some generic sentences about my Pokemon being healed that nobody really listens to."

"Huh? What gave you that idea?"

"I don't know, I kind of suspected that all the Nurse Joys were robots or something. I mean, you do all look pretty much exactly alike."

"Pf, don't be ridiculous. I assure you, we are all very much human. We all just look the same because we're all part of the same family."

"Yeah, you're right," Dennis said with an awkward grin. "It was silly of me to assume something like that. Well, I guess I'll go now."

"Please come again!" Nurse Joy called out with a smile, waving at Dennis as he exited the Pokemon Center. As soon as he was gone though, her expression immediately turned serious as she pressed her fingers up to her right ear. "Petalburg Nurse Joy, we have a Code Yellow. I repeat, we have a Code Yellow. Trainer suspects, and he's heading your way. Activate personalized speech mode so as to ensure he doesn't continue with his suspicions. Remember, we must not allow anyone to know the truth."

Outside of the Pokemon Center, Dennis was having a conversation with Dexil about what had just occurred with Nurse Joy as they walked through Oldale Town.

 _So why do you think Nurse Joy is a robot? More importantly, how can you remember that you thought she was a robot._

 _"I don't know. I guess I just had this feeling."_

 _I guess it would make sense all things considered. Plus, I think it'd be kind of hot._

 _"What? Why?"_

 _Well, I am sort of a robot in my own way._

 _"You're a voice in my head. I'm not even sure you're real or not."_

 _Me neither. But, I am fairly certainly I'm robotic in nature. And in my opinion, only robots can truly love other robots._

 _"Whatever, Dexil. You're weird, that's all I need to know,"_ Dennis thought with disgust as he entered the Pokemart and proceeded to purchase several potions from the cashier. Once he bought them, he unzipped his backpack and put them inside.

 _Oh come on! You have to admit it makes sense._

 _"I don't have to admit anything,"_ the red-haired trainer thought as he walked out of the mart after making the purchase. _"Besides, that nurse said they were humans, and it's really just a stupid suspicion. Besides, even if it were true, you don't even have a body of your ow.."_

Dennis was suddenly knocked over by someone running into him. Looking up, he saw a boy about his age with dark silver hair standing above him. He wore a black leather jacket over a white shirt with a red dragon design, black leather pants, and a pair of red sunglasses. The boy scowled at Dennis. "Watch where you're going jerk!"

"Watch where _I'm_ going?!" Dennis replied with disbelief. "You're the one who crashed into me like some crazy biker! How about you watch where you're going!"

 _Dennis! Don't fight unnecessary battles!_

 _"Normally, I wouldn't Dexil. But I can't just let someone roll over me like that!"_

The silver haired boy scowled at Dennis, before pulling a Pokeball out of his pocket. "If that's how it's gonna be, then I guess there's only one way to settle this. I challenge you to a Pokemon battle!"

"You're on!" Dennis said before he jumped back and pulled out his own ball. "Go Alice!" The Dark type Pokemon was released out onto the field, where she proceeded to get into a fighting stance.

"Go Zigzagoon!" the boy said, sending out a spiky raccoon-like Pokemon. "You better not mess this up!"

 _This is stupid! We could be on the next route by now! If you lose this battle, you'll lose what little money you have left to this guy._

 _"I won't lose."_

 _You don't know that._

 _"Maybe, but if I don't have the ability to defeat some random trainer, then how can I defeat a of Gym Leaders!"_

Dexil considered this for a few moments before sighing. _Just make it quick._

"Alright, Zigzagoon," the boy said. "Use tackle!" The Zigzagoon quickly made it's way across the ground and hit Alice in her side. It didn't seem to phase her though as Dennis issued his own command.

"Alice, use Ice Fang!" Dennis said, causing a look of surprise to go across the boy's face.

"Ice Fang?" he said before Alice's fangs glowed an icy blue as she bit down on the Zigzagoon. She then threw the Zigzagoon over to the side, where it struggled to get up before collapsing on the ground. The silver-haired boy scowled and returned the Zigzagoon to it's ball. "Useless," he muttered before walking over to Dennis, who had returned Alice to her ball as well, and placed the Zigzagoon's Pokeball in his hand along with several Pokebucks. "Here!"

"Huh? Why are you..?" Dennis asked.

"I don't have time for a useless Pokemon like this," the boy told him. " I already have a much better Pokemon that I don't plan to waste on you, so I don't even know why I bothered to catch it in the first place really. Maybe it'll suit you better."

Dennis watched as the boy started to walk away before calling out to him. "Dennis!"

The boy paused and looked back at him in confusion. "What?"

"My name is Dennis!" he repeated. "Don't just call me 'you'! What's yours?"

"You seriously don't know who I am?" the boy asked. "Well, that explains the way you acted towards me."

"I would have reacted the same way!" Dennis said, causing the boy to raise his eyebrow at him. "I don't take that sort of thing from people like you."

The boy looked at Dennis with a strange look before grinning mysteriously. "Orion. And you better remember it, cause I get the feeling I'm going to see a lot more of you, kid."

"Only if you remember mine," Dennis replied, his face showing no emotion.

"Oh, don't worry, I will," Orion said before walking away again.

Dennis stood there in silence for a few moments after Orion had gone until Dexil suddenly spoke up.

 _Oh god...What did you just do?_

 _"I don't know, Dexil. I don't know."_

 ** _A/N_**

The rival is revealed! And he's a douchey douche! His idol is Silver! That's why his hair is silver! LOL, I'm kidding, his hair is natural. He would have died his hair red, but his parents wouldn't let him. XD Speaking of parents, if you can guess who Zachary's dad is...then I won't be really surprised. But if you can guess who his mom is...I still won't be surprised. Oh, who am I kidding, I may as well say outright that I'm a sucker for MetalDragonShipping right now. Which I just did. XD N-Ways, next chapter, we see a more familiar face (for those who played R/S/E and ORAS) who will meet our amnesiac protagonist. Many fangirls and fanboys will squeal when they see him! Heck, they're probably squealing right now since I said they would! Then again, fangirls and boys generally squeal all the time, so it doesn't make much difference. Which also bides the question of why I mentioned it in the first...oh well, I'm weird like that. XD

I'll see you guys in the next chapter. Until then, prepare to bow down to your robotic Nurse Joy overlords and stay magical!


	4. Something Old, Something New

**Chapter Four: Something Old, Something New**

 _Route 102_

Dennis didn't think that it was possible for someone inside of a person's mind to hit them. He was proven wrong when he suddenly had a sensation that mirrored a person hitting him on the head.

 _YOU IDIOT! Do you realize what you've just done?!_

 _"OW STOP THAT! I don't see why you're mad. Why does it matter if I made a small enemy or not? OW!"_

The pain in Dennis' head stopped before Dexil continued scolding him. _Why does it matter?! WHY DOES IT MATTER?! It matters because if we have someone competing with us, we're less likely to succeed! We may have gotten a free Pokemon out of that battle, along with the experience necessary for Alice to learn Sand Attack, but the fact is that you screwed up getting us an enemy, and what's worse is that he didn't show us all the Pokemon he has. And in the long run, that will prove to be an obstacle._

 _"We'll deal with that when we get there. Besides, he doesn't know all of the Pokemon I have either, so he's at just as much of a disadvantage. Speaking of the Pokemon we got, could you give me Zigzagoon's information already."_

 _Uh, fine. Male, level 6, Relaxed nature, is able to use Tackle, Growl, and Tail Whip. Happy?_

 _"Very much so. I think I'm going to name him Freddy."_

 _Yeah, that's great. Anyway, the next gym is led by Leader Rick, who specializes in Rock types. Since there are Lotad on this route, you should try to catch one._

 _"Alright, I got it,"_ thought Dennis as he continued traveling through the route to Petalburg City. Along the way, he was able to catch a Lotad ( _Male, level 5, Bold Nature, is able to use Teeter Dance, Astonish, and Growl_ ) like Dexil suggested, which he decided to name Angelo. He also battled a couple of trainers and wild Pokemon to train up Markus, Alice, Freddy, and Angelo. It took about an hour and a half according to Dexil, who somehow was able to tell the time to the millisecond, until they saw the exit. There, two people were blocking the way into town.

One of them was a tall, thin man who appeared to be in his 20's or early 30's with green hair styled to look like leaves. He wore a long, gray coat that split in two halfway up his back over a plain white shirt and light-gray pants along with a wooden pendant that hung around his neck. The other one was a girl with long blond hair wrapped into a ponytail and glasses who looked to be a little younger than Dennis. She wore an outfit similar to the man beside her, except her coat was white, wasn't as long, and didn't have the split in the back and her shirt was yellow with burgundy-colored floral designs. They were talking to each other, and as Dennis got closer, he was able to discern what they were saying.

"So this is where you caught your first Pokemon, Uncle Wally?" the girl asked.

"That's right, Asilia," the man, who's name was apparently Wally, said. "This is where I first met Gallade when he was still a Ralts. I thought it would be appropriate for you to start your own journey right here in Petalburg, where mine started. So, what do you think of my home town?"

The girl, Asilia, shrugged. "It's okay, I guess. It's kind of different from Verdanturf. So, can I go challenge the gym now?"

"Well, the thing is, you can't challenge the Petalburg Gym until you've earned four badges," Wally said with an awkward smile.

"What?" Asilia deadpanned. "So you brought me out to Petalburg just so you could show me a route filled with useless Pokemon except for Ralts, which I wouldn't even want since my first Pokemon is a Mawile?"

Wally frowned at Asilia turned towards Petalburg City again. "I was trying to show you the town where I grew up and the route where I caught my first Pokemon with the help of Brendan..."

Asilia's head snapped back to look at her uncle. "This is where you met Brendan?"

"Well, it was actually at the Gym, but yeah..." Wally explained.

The blonde-haired girl considered what he had said. "Well, I guess it would be appropriate if I had my first trainer battle here," Asilia finally said before turning to Dennis and pointing at him. "You, battle me."

Dennis blinked and looked around before turning back to Asilia. "Me?"

"Do you see anyone else here?" Asilia said sarcastically. "Yes you. I want to have my first battle here, and since you are the first trainer I've seen, I challenge you to a battle."

"Well, I don't know..." Dennis said as he consulted Dexil about it.

"Why do you need to talk to a voice in your head to battle me?" Asilia suddenly asked, catching both Dennis and Dexil off-guard.

"How...How did you...?"

"I'm a psychic. I can read your mind."

"Asilia!" Wally scolded. "I told you not to read people's minds unless it's an emergency! Doing so is immensely rude."

"I am sorry uncle," Asilia said as she nodded her head in an apologetic manner. "But the voice in his head is rather loud. In fact, it's now yelling at me right now. And now he's calling me a bi-...nevermind, he's blocked me out."

"Alright I'll battle you," Dennis conceded as he felt a sort of mental barrier close around his mind. "Go Markus!"

"Prepare for battle Wilma!" Asilia said as she released a Mawile from a Pokeball she pulled out of one of the pockets of her coat. The Mawile turned around as she was released and roared with the giant mouth that was on her head. "Wilma, use Fairy Wind!" Asilia commanded the Mawile, who's eyes glowed with a pink aura before a pale pink-colored gust came from behind her.

"Markus, dodge it and use Ember!" Dennis commanded, his Torchic dodging just in time before releasing a small ball of fire at the Mawile.

"Wilma, crush it using Bite!" Asilia commanded as her Mawile's jaws were suddenly cast in a dark aura and bit down onto the fire.

Dennis grinned at this. It was clear this trainer had spent a lot of time with this Pokemon judging by how much Asilia seemed to know about the Mawile, and how easily the Pokemon responded to her trainer's commands. However, Dennis knew he could win this, especially since he now confirmed some facts. "Alright Markus, use Sand Attack followed up by Scratch!" Dennis said. Markus dug his claws into the ground, bringing up some dirt before running at top speed at the Mawile, who was trying to turn around to see what the Torchic was up to. This was a mistake as she quickly got a cloud of dust and a claw to the face. As the attack hit, the dust cloud quickly covered both Pokemon, obscuring the trainers view of the battle.

"Wilma, blow it away with Fairy Wind," Asilia calmly commanded, before the same kind of gust blew away all the smoke, revealing...Mawile all alone. Both trainer and Pokemon looked around confused, wondering where the Torchic had gone.

"Markus, Ember followed by Scratch!" Dennis suddenly called out before a small ball of flame flew out of the ground and exploded on Mawile, followed by a talon that sliced at the Mawile.

"What?" Asilia exclaimed as Markus jumped up from the ground and shook off the dust that was covering him. "Your Torchic knows Dig?"

"Nope," Dennis said with a grin that mirrored his Pokemon's. "I just used the dust cloud to hide the fact that Markus was scratching the ground beneath him so he could make a small ditch. From there, it was a simple matter of letting the dust particles fall around."

"Impossible!" Asilia exclaimed, distraught. "The only way you can use a move is if that Pokemon knows it!"

"Who says? If the Pokemon has something that can mirror the move, why can't it use it? Of course, it won't pack the same punch, but it's still possible to use the technique. Speaking of technique, you might want to look at those giant jaws your Mawile has."

"What?" Asilia asked before looking at Wilma's giant mouth and seeing a bright glow coming from it before a large fire burst out of it, causing the Mawile to fall over and fall unconscious as smoke poured from her jaws. "How did you...?" Asilia began before remembering the Ember attack from before. "How...how could that attack have built up so much? It was just an Ember!"

"It's quite simple really," Dennis said smugly. "I counted on you using your Mawile's jaws to stop my Torchic's Ember, which is where Mawile's steel-typing comes into play. Since fire is super effective against it, the strength is increased due to a steel-type's disadvantage against it. Therefore, when the Ember was inside the Mawile's jaws, surrounded by the essence of a steel type, it quickly consumed it and increased in strength until Mawile couldn't take any more of it. And now here we are."

 _Since when did you get so good at battling?_

 _"I'm...not sure. I think I always was."_

"I see..." Asilia said, before returning her Mawile to her ball and walking forward to shake Dennis' hands. "This truly was a great learning experience. I can tell that you are quite a skilled trainer, and that it will be very difficult to find someone of equal skill."

"Well, I don't know about all that," the red-haired replied with a slight blush as he returned Markus and shook Asilia's hand. "I've really only been doing this for a few..."

"That is why..." the blonde-haired girl whispered as her grip on Dennis' hand tightened. "I look forward to the day I will be stronger, so I can crush you like the ant you really are."

Suddenly, they both heard a laugh, and the two trainers turned to see Wally chuckling to himself as he watched the scene before him. "I have to say, that was quite a good battle. I don't think I've ever seen such a strategy like that. Simulating what one move does by combining two others was quite genius. I'll need to remember that myself the next time I battle. Speaking of which..." Wally paused as he looked down at his watch. "I have a battle in about an hour. I'm sorry to leave you here by yourself Asilia, but I'm sure you can get through Petalburg Woods with the help of...I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name."

"Dennis," the red-haired boy said with a frown. "And what makes you so sure I'll help her."

"Well, a couple of things really," Wally replied with a slightly mischievous grin. "One, I'm a member of the Hoenn League, so legally, I could assign you to do an act of community service that benefits the league, such as assisting rookie trainers. But, I'd rather focus on the incident of Route 101."

Dennis' eyes widened in shock at this. "What...what are you talking about?" he asked nervously.

"Don't play dumb," the green-haired man replied slyly. "The facts add up. There was a fire on Route 101 last night. I myself had to use my Azumarill to put it out before anyone got hurt. You happen to have a Torchic and are coming from that direction, so it's pretty clear that you did it. Now, beginning trainers with Fire-types are usually pardoned from this due to most people not knowing how to handle them. However, judging from your battle just now, you're anything but a beginning trainer. Besides that, the only Torchic that you can find in this area of Hoenn is the one in Littleroot Town, which nobody is allowed in unless they're either the champion or an ex-champion."

"...Alright fine, I did it," Dennis said, pausing as he considered telling them that he lost his memories, but quickly dismissing the idea. "I went into Littleroot Town to see what I could find there and that's how I met Markus. I had no idea that only champions were allowed in it. Although I guess it should be obvious considering I almost got killed by this weird Swampert."

"Ah yes, Ol' Blue," Wally nodded in understanding. "I'm surprised you survived. You must be extremely lucky."

"Actually it was thanks to Markus that I got out of there," Dennis admitted. "It was standing right in front of me, ready to crush me under it's fist. Then Markus came out of his ball and growled at it. Then it kind of laughed and walked away."

"Brendan and his Pokemon always did like people with a brave spirit," Wally muttered to himself so that neither Dennis or Asilia could hear him before raising his voice again. "Anyway, back to the illegal trespassing thing. I _could_ report you to the rest of the League and have both your Trainer card and all your Pokemon taken away, but I think I'd rather have you escort my niece here to Rustboro City. Besides, such a competent battler like you must be planning to take on the Hoenn Pokemon League, so it actually works out for you really. This way, you'll have someone to help you if you ever run into anything, so you'll get to the city much faster. Now, what do you say? The end of your trainer career, or having a companion to help you up until Rustoboro?"

"Well, I guess I don't really have a choice when you put it like that," Dennis answered hesitantly.

 _Don't agree to this! This guy is a manipulative jerk!_

 _"Maybe, but he seems to have pure intentions, even if the way he's getting me to do what he wants is kind of sneaky. Besides, it's not like we have a choice."_

 _...Fine, we'll do it. But if that girl tries to breach our mind while we're traveling with her, I will have you gut her._

 _"Glad you could be so understanding..."_

"Hold on a second uncle," Asilia suddenly interjected. "What makes you think I need the help of this guy? I can easily get through Petalburg Woods on my own."

"Maybe, but you could also learn more about how he battles if you travel with him," Wally countered as he brought out a Pokeball and let out an Altaria. "Anyway, I don't have time for this debate. I have to get to Sootopolis City in 55 minutes. I'll see you later." He then grabbed onto his Altaria's leg and was lifted up into the air, flying away and eventually disappearing from view as Dennis and Asilia watched in silence for a few moments.

"So..." Dennis said, breaking the silence. "You're name's Asilia? And I suppose that was your uncle?"

"Yes, my name is Asilia," the blonde-haired trainer replied. "And technically, he's my mother's cousin, but I consider him an uncle. Anyway, we should probably go to the Pokemon center. It's getting dark."

"Good idea," Dennis said as they both walked into Petalburg City...

 _The Next Day, Route 104_

"Alright, 'Dennis', if that's really your name," Asilia said as the two trainers stepped out of Petalburg City and into the next route. "I don't know that much about you, you don't know that much about me. I'd like to keep it that way. So unless it's necessary, no talking for the entirety of this trip."

Dennis scowled at the blonde-haired trainer. "Hey, in case you didn't notice, I'm not exactly here willingly, so the least you could do is have some sympathy all things considered."

"I am being sympathetic," Asilia bluntly responded. "I realize that you don't really want to talk to me, and that you don't have to because you have the little voice in your head for that."

Dennis suddenly felt a fraction of the mental barrier around his mind lower. _Listen princess! If you even_ think _about telling anyone about me, I will mind crush you!_

"Is that supposed to be a Yu-Gi-Oh reference?" Asilia questioned, having heard what Dexil had said. "I knew you were stupid, but I didn't think you were kid's anime obsessed-level stupid."

 _Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize there was another person who could access the internet with their flipping mind._

"So you are essentially made from the Internet? That explains why you're so rude."

 _This coming from the girl who threatened someone after losing a battle._

The conversation continued this way the entire time they were in Route 104, passing a large building next to a dock with a sign that said "Briney Ferries", and partway through Petalburg Woods. Dennis, unable to even try and leave, had to listen to the entire argument, only getting relief when either trainer had a battle, which wasn't very often. As they continued through the route, Dennis mentally sighed, which was unheard by Dexil due to him arguing with Asilia. This would be a long day.

 ** _A/N_**

Introducing Asilia, Dexil's, I mean, Dennis' other rival! Now, it might seem like both of Dennis' rivals are total jerks, but trust me when I say that neither of them are bad as they look. What I mean by that is Asilia looks like she's polite and nice, but really she hates everyone and everything and wants to burn it all in a blaze of destruction and chaos. Isn't that nice? XD  
As for Orion...well, just wait and see. N-ways, if you guys can spot the pattern for Dennis, Orion, and Asilia's names, I will be fairly impressed. Yeah, trust me, there is a pattern, it's not completely random like many of you probably think it is. Although, it's probably not really that hard to see now that I think about it...whatever.

Next chapter, we're introduced to the evil team, which I think you'll find is a bit different from others. Now, all of you are thinking, "But how is that possible?" With all of the evil teams we've seen, surely we must have covered all the bases? Well, not quite. You'll find out what I mean next time.  
Until then, stay magical.


	5. Team Psyche

**Chapter Five: Team Psyche**

 _The Previous Day, In the Skies Above Hoenn_

As Wally flew through the air on his Altaria heading to Sootopolis City, he wondered about Dennis. It was obvious there was something special about him, especially considering his battle style and the fact that he had a Mega Stone on his necklace. Wally also realized that Dennis was clearly hiding something, and the fact that there was another voice in his head according to Asilia worried him. And yet...there was something familiar about him. How he carried himself, the way he seemed terrified of losing his Pokemon despite only having them for a couple of days. It wasn't that he was terrified of not being a trainer. It actually seemed like he couldn't care less about being one. Rather, he was horrified at the thought of losing his Pokemon at all. This sort of behavior reminded him of someone he knew once before...

As his thoughts rolled around his head, Wally brought out a Poke Ball with both a white top and bottom and a red line separating the two. Staring intently at it, Wally felt a small psychic aura emitting from it. Mentally grabbing onto it, the green-haired man felt his mind merge with the that of the Pokemon inside the ball. Focusing and gathering up everything he knew about Dennis, Wally sent his thoughts through the psychic link. The Pokemon on the other end received it and looked over everything he had.

 _"So,"_ Wally thought. _"What do you think? Is he the one?"_

Wally felt the Pokemon continue to consider for a few seconds, before answering in a light, feminine voice. _(Yes. There's no doubt he is the one.)_

 _Current Day, Petalburg Woods_

 _...and that, Miss Asilia, is why my mind is better than yours._

"Ha, don't make me laugh Dexil," Asilia retorted. "Your reasoning is clearly flawed. You may be able to access the internet, but it would take far to long to gather information for a situation that requires it immediately. It would be much faster to read someone's mind."

 _You can not guarantee that whoever you read the mind of knows everything about the situation. What about a situation where you have to deal with a robot or someone who can block you from their thoughts? What then? Oh that's right, you'd have to fight them! And who here has information on every form of hand-to-hand combat and weapon usage? That's right, me!_

"We don't even need to fight ourselves if we have Pokemon to protect us."

 _Right, because you're obviously a good battler, miss I-couldn't-win-my-first-battle._

"I only lost because Dennis was a far more experienced battler than I am. By the way, I can tell that you didn't help him with that. You don't know a thing about Pokemon battling, so whenever you two face are in a Pokemon battle, you essentially ride on Dennis' coat tails through the whole thing."

What?! How did you...? You little bi-

 _"BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!"_ Dennis suddenly said in his mind, coming to a stop as his patience finally ran thin. _"Seriously, can I just go FIVE MINUTES without one of you insulting the other?!"_

Both Dexil and Asilia stood in silence until Dexil finally muttered an apology. Dennis then waited for an apology from Asilia, but it never came.

"Asilia, you have to apologize as we-"

"Somebody's watching us," Asilia suddenly said, before calling out. "Whoever you are, come out this instance!"

The group waited for a few moments before a figure stepped out from behind a tree. It was a blonde-haired human, a teenager judging by their , who wore a yellow body suit under brown armor that covered his shoulders and chest. His head was covered with a mask that resembled an Abra's face, and he was only slightly taller than the two trainers.

"Impressive," the man said, his voice slightly distorted from the mask. "I'm surprised you could detect us. Are you a perhaps a psychic?"

"I don't need to be psychic to see someone who looks like a freaking traffic sign," Asilia said bluntly.

The masked man paused before shrugging. "Fair enough," he said, before pulling out a Poke Ball. "Despite this, we are very well aware of your ability. In fact, it is why we are here."

"What do you mean?" Dennis asked.

"Our name is Beta, and we are part of an organization that desires people blessed with kinetic powers," the man, apparently called Beta replied. "We have been tracking you in particular for quite a while. You have great potential, but your power lacks in some areas, such as communicating telepathically. Therefore, we invite you to join our team so that we may teach you how to refine your powers."

Asilia scowled. "I've heard of your organization. It's called Team Psyche right? It's just a terrorist group made up of a few psychics and a whole bunch of telekinetic wannabes. I'd never join it in a million years."

"Clearly you are unaware the true extent of our abilities," Beta said before releasing an Abra. "Allow us to show you the true power of Team Psyche."

"An Abra? Is that all you have?" Asilia said as she released her Mawile, Wilma. "If so, then this will be over in a second. Wilma, use Bite!"

"Use Teleport," the Team Psyche grunt said as his Abra dodged the Mawile's Dark-type attack. "Now hit it Fire Punch!"

"What?" Asilia's eyes widened in shock as the Abra teleported next to Wilma and delivered a flaming punch to the Mawile's cheek. The Mawile fell over, having not quite fainted, but at least halfway. "How does it know Fire Punch?"

"Move Tutor probably," Dennis said as he brought out his own Pokeball and released his Lotad Angelo. "Don't worry though. Despite the super effective move, Abra attack is very small, so Mawile should be able to stand one more of those. Luckily for you, I'm here. Angelo, use Teeter Dance!" Upon his trainer's command, Angelo began to spin around violently, confusing both Wilam and the Abra as they watched.

"What did you do that for?" Asilia whispered to Dennis. "Now Wilma's confused."

 _Relax princess. We know what we're doing. But first, we're gonna need you to do us a favor. Since this guy obviously planned on having to deal with you and you alone, his Abra likely doesn't have any other attacks besides Fire Punch. So what we need to do is this..._ Dexil then proceeded to send the entirety of Dennis plan into Asilia's mind, which only took a second.

"Alright, I understand," Asilia whispered once the strategy had been fully processed by her brain, which took another second.

"Well, you may have confused our Abra, but that won't stop us," Beta said. "Abra, use Fire Punch on Mawile!" The Psi Pokemon once again formed a flaming fist and ran toward Wilma.

"Wilma, grab that Lotad and use him to block the Fire Punch," Asilia commanded. Just as she was told, the Mawile picked up Angelo by his stubby legs and put his lily pad top in front of her, effectively deflecting the Fire Punch.

"Angelo, use Bubble!" Dennis suddenly called out. Angelo, although surprised that he was just used as a shield, launched a powerful stream of bubbles at the ground. The attack sent him flying once Wilma let go of him, causing the Abra to fall over, who's fist got caught in the Lotad's lily pad.

"Now Wilma, use Bite!" Asilia said as she bit her lip in anticipation. This was a critical moment in Dennis' strategy. If Wilma hit herself in confusion, then they had to pray that the Abra would do the same. If not, Asilia could very well lose, and there's no telling what Beta might do then. Luckily, Wilma was able to pull through, delivering a fierce Bite attack on the Abra, Angelo having jumped away just as the Mawile chomped down on the Psychic type. After shaking the Psi Pokemon around a few times, Wilma threw the Abra down at Beta's feet. "Good job Wilma!"

"Don't celebrate just yet," Dennis interrupted, pointing over at Beta.

"What?" Asilia said before looking over at the Abra, her eyes widening as she saw the Psychic type get back up to it's feet.

Beta laughed maniacally at this outcome. "You seem shocked, although you really shouldn't be. After all, we told you we would show you the true power of Team Psyche. Now Abra, finish off that Mawile with another Fire Punch!"

Asilia and Dennis could only watch helplessly as the Abra once again formed a fist, fire surrounding it...then fall over as it became overcame by it's confusion and hit itself in the face, causing it to faint.

The trainers and the Team Psyche grunt looked at the fainted Psychic type Pokemon in silence while Dexil laughed inside Dennis' head. After a few moments, the silence was broken by Beta's chuckling as he returned his Abra to it's ball, which soon evolved into full on a malicious outbreak.

"What's so funny?" Dennis asked, surprised at the Team Psyche grunt's reaction.

Beta began to cease his laughter and calmed down enough to answer. "Don't you see? This is Team Psyche's true power. Only those with our power can defeat us. If our Abra had't hit himself, you would have surely been doomed. Of course, we realize you probably think we are just bluffing, so we shall take our leave." Pulling out a different Poke Ball, Beta released an Abra, which teleported them both to who knows where.

Asilia stared at where the Psyche Grunt had disappeared as if in a trance as Dennis went over to Angelo. "Well, I think I know why your uncle had me escort you through Petalburg Woods," Dennis remarked, breaking the female trainer out of her stupor.

"Can you believe all that crap he said?" Asilia said. "'Only those with our power can defeat us.' Ridiculous! As if we would ever believe that."

"He was telling the truth," Dennis said as he picked up his Lotad and held him in his arms.

"What? What do you mean he was telling the truth?" Asilia asked in shock.

Rather than answering, Dennis began to pet Angelo on his lily pad, right where the Abra had hit him with a Fire Punch. "You did really good today Angelo," Dennis muttered to the Lotad. "Sorry you had to be used as a shield. I'll be sure to get you some churros later to make up for it, alright?" The Lotad squeaked happily at the idea of having what was apparently his favorite food, before he was sent into his ball.

 _"Why does he look so...shaken?"_ Asilia wondered to herself as she looked at Dennis. Deciding to find out, she reached her mind out to see what the red-haired teen was thinking...only to be blocked by a mental barrier so powerful, she couldn't break it no matter how hard she tried. This surprised the blonde-haired girl more than anything else, as she had never met anyone with a focus that strong before.

Once Dennis had returned Angelo to his Pokeball, he got up and called out to Asilia. "Come on. We can't let this stop us. Even with that little distraction, we should be able to make it to Rustboro by noon."

"Right," Asilia said, narrowing her eyes at the forced happy tone but deciding not to mention it. Dexil on the other hand was expressing his concern freely.

 _Are you alright Dennis? That Beta guy made you remember something, didn't he?_

 _"Do me a favor Dexil. Just don't worry about it."_

 _If you say so._

 _"Thank you,"_ Dennis thought as he tried to burn the image of his hands covered in blood as someone who was dressed just like Beta, only taller, laughed beside him...

 _Approximately Noon, Rustboro City_

After traveling through the northern part of Route 104 in relative silence, stopping only at a flower shop where they both got a Bullet Seed TM and a kit for growing their own berries, the trainers finally arrived at Rustboro City. There they saw Wally waiting for them at the entrance. Once they saw him, Asilia immediately ran up to her uncle, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"You knew that a member of Team Psyche would attack us," Asilia said to him, not even bothering to make it a question.

"What? No 'Hey uncle Wally'? No 'How was your battle?' It was great by the way."

Asilia stared at him blankly until he sighed.

"Alright, yes I knew that Team Psyche was after you," Wally finally admitted. "I mean, why wouldn't they? You're a B-rank mind reader class psychic at only fifteen years of age. By the time you're an adult, you'll likely be an A-class or maybe even an S-class."

"That doesn't explain how you knew they would attack at Petalburg Woods," Dennis interjected.

"Several things really," Wally explained. "One is that since Team Psyche doesn't like having any witnesses if they can help it, and the only time Asilia could have been alone during the entirety of her journey so far is Petalburg Woods. Besides that, I myself am a D-rank oracle class psychic, and I had an image of her being attacked in Petalburg Woods, so that pretty much confirmed it."

"So when you saw how good of a battler I was, and figured out I was the one who caused the forest fire on Route 101, you jumped at the chance," Dennis said, to which Wally nodded. "I have one question though. What would you have done if I hadn't been there?"

"I would have had the gym leader of Petalburg escort her," Wally replied. "Which wouldn't have gone down very well, since she hates me and everything associated with me. I mean, she wouldn't have let an innocent child get hurt, but she probably wouldn't have accepted if I could get someone else who was capable of doing it."

"I see," Dennis muttered, clearly still annoyed at the green-haired man getting him involved in his schemes.

"Anyway," Wally said, as he pulled a differently colored Pokeball out of one of his coat pockets. "I realize that getting you wrapped up in this business with Team Psyche was definitely not part of our deal, and in consolation, I'd like to give you this." Wally handed the Poke Ball to Dennis.

"What's this?" Dennis asked.

"A Premium Ball," Wally replied simply.

"I know that, but what's in it," Dennis said with narrowed eyes.

"What?" Wally asked in surprise.

"Premium Balls are essentially Poke Balls with a recolor," Dennis said, remembering what Dexil had told him about different Poke Balls two days ago at Route 102. "They are almost always used to hold gift Pokemon. So I'll ask you again, what's in it?"

"Man, everybody seems to be outsmarting me today," Wally muttered with a sigh. "Well, that there is a Ralts. Her name is Grace, and she's my Gallade's daughter."

"What?!" Asilia cried out in shock. "Uncle, why are you giving him Grace? You agreed that Grace wouldn't be given to anybody until she chose them!"

"Which she did Asilia," Wally replied, much to Asilia's surprise. "Just because Grace didn't choose you doesn't mean that she wouldn't choose anybody. We've already talked about this, and you agreed that you wouldn't get mad at whoever was chosen. Are you saying that you want to break a promise you made to Grace?"

Asilia glared at the Premium Ball in Dennis' hand before muttering a "No", though she was clearly angry at these turn of events. "I'm going to go to Route 116 to train for the gym. I'll see you later uncle."

"Okay, stay safe," Wally waved to Asilia as she walked north before turning back to Dennis. "Anyway Dennis, I need you to promise me to take good care of Grace. All of her other brothers and sisters have already been given to trainers I deemed responsible enough to care for them. Grace has been without any of her siblings for 5 years, and since Asilia has gone on her journey, she's become kind of lonely. But I have a good feeling about you. There's something about you that reminds me of an old friend of mine who was a big help in my journey, and I can tell that you have what it takes."

"Well, I don't know about all that," Dennis said with a shrug. "But thank you for the Ralts I guess. Although, I don't really think I deserve something like this."

"You don't seem to believe in yourself too much," Wally noted as he began to walk away. "Maybe that's because you don't know what it is you're believing. Anyway, I'll see you later."

"Um, okay," the red-haired teenager said. "Bye then."

Once Wally was gone, Dexil, who had stayed silent the entire time, finally spoke up.

 _What do you suppose he meant by 'you don't know what it is you're believing in'?_

 _"I don't know. I thought you knew."_

 _At this point, I don't think that man is right in the head. Oh well, we got a female level 10 Ralts with a Modest Nature that is able to use Growl, Confusion, Double Team, and Teleport out of it, so that's good._

 _"Yeah, I guess."_ Dennis thought as he opened the Premium Ball, releasing the Pokemon inside. As the Ralts materialized in front of him, the red-haired trainer crouched so he would be level with the Pokemon. Once the Psychic type had fully materialized, Dennis smiled at her.

"Hi there," Dennis said. "My name's Dennis. I suppose your name's Grace?"

 _(Yes)_ a lilting, female voice spoke in Dennis' mind, catching him by surprise. _(I also know who you are, as my master Wally had shown me everything he knew about you. And now that I stand in front of you, seeing into your mind, I realize that I made the right choice. Even with the rather rude inner voice you have)_

Dexil meanwhile was yelling at the top of his metaphysical lungs with in Dennis' mind, giving the teenager a headache. _GREAT! THIS IS JUST PERFECT! AS SOON AS WE GET RID OF ONE MIND READER, ANOTHER TAKES THEIR PLACE! Why don't we just scream my existence into the sky like some sort of Poochyena calling a bunch of enemy packs to tear it apart?! How about we do that?!_

 _"Dexil, I realize you're distraught, but could you please not scream bloody murder in my head? It's giving me a headache."_

 _What? Oh, sorry._ Dexil said, calming down.

 _(I apologize that my appearance has cause you such distress Mr. Dennis and Mr. Dexil)_ Grace said. _(I hope you will forgive me for this intrusion)_

 _"It's fine Grace. You're not the first one to cause us stress."_

 _(I know)_

 _"Although it would be good if you didn't read my mind to find out about it."_

 _(Sorry)_

 _"It's alright. It's perfectly natural for a Psychic type to read their trainer's mind when they're first caught or given to them."_

 _How do you know?_

 _"What do you mean?"_

 _I mean, how do you know that? You've never had a Psychic Pokemon until now, so how do you know the typical behavior of a Psychic type._

 _"I just...know I guess. I can't really explain it."_

 _Alright, fine. Whatever,_ Dexil said, though it was clear that he was still suspicious.

 _(In any case, you are right. However, I decided to straight out tell you what I was doing as I felt it was the least I could do since I essentially caused my master to dump me with you)_

 _"Don't be ridiculous Grace! We're happy to have you. I can tell that you'll be a great addition to the team."_

 _Not in a Rock type Gym,_ Dexil muttered.

At this point, Dennis would have glared at Dexil if he could. _"Either way, I'm going to go train in Petalburg woods. All of those bug and grass types will be great for Markus to gain experience for the gym."_

 _(You mean your Torchic?)_

 _"Yeah. Speaking of which, I'll have to introduce you to him and everyone else on the team. I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you."_

 _(That sounds nice)_ Grace said as Dennis got up, picking her up and putting her on his shoulder as he did so.

 _"Alright then, let's go!"_ Dennis said as he walked onto Route 104 once more and headed for Petalburg Woods...

 _A Few Minutes Later, Devon Corp. Building_

As Wally walked into the elevator of the Devon Corp. headquarters, he tapped his foot in anticipation at he waited to meet with the CEO. A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing a room with a large table on one end and a desk on the other, along with several cases containing rare fossils lining the wall. On the opposite side of the table, a young man stood with his back to Wally, facing the glass that covered the wall.

"Mr. Stone," Wally called out, causing the figure to flinch slightly. "I'm here to report to you about the Psyche's recent attack."

The man turned to face Wally, red sunglasses flashing in the lamplight as he turned around. "Wally, I've told you a million times to stop calling me Mr. Stone. Seriously, is Orion such a hard name to remember?"

"No," Wally said, smirking. "But I do so enjoy teasing you with it."

"Whatever," Orion said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, how's things going at the league."

"It's doing great," Wally said with a slight hint of pride. "How are your folks?"

"They're fine," the dark-silver haired teenager replied. "Both of them are in Unova researching the Tao Trio. Or as I like to call them, the 'Taco' Trio."

Wally chuckled at this. "That certainly sounds like something you would come up with."

"Yeah. Anyway, what have you got?" Orion asked, suddenly growing serious.

"This," Wally answered as he pulled out a flash drive and slid it across the table. "That contains all the information the League has gathered on Team Psyche, including some encrypted messages we intercepted."

Orion nodded and picked up the flash drive. "I'll be sure to have the guys downstairs try to crack the code. I'll have the Vice President send you the finished version while I'm away."

Wally grinned at this. "Does this mean you'll finally taking on the league? Remember, you can only start out with-"

"A level 5 starter, I know. Don't worry. Pyro and Amazonia's egg recently hatched, so I'll have someone in the medicine department give him enough rare candies to get him to level 5. I've thought this through Wally, down to my starter's nickname. Which is going to be Leo in case you were wondering."

Wally nodded in approval. "Good. At least one new trainer has planned ahead. Most of the newer one's I've seen don't really have a goal in mind. They just stand around a specific route they like and train."

"It's sad to be honest, but we gotta live with it," Orion said with a shrug. "Anyway, I'll be starting in two days, so I'll see you then. Hopefully while on my adventure I'll be able to find out more about Team Psyche."

"Yes, that's a good idea," Wally said as his smile was replaced with a frown. "Team Psyche has become a serious threat to the Hoenn region, and if they go too far in their goals, there will be grave consequences..."

 _ **A/N**_

TEAM PSYCHE! I bet all of you thought the evil team would be based off of Flying type Pokemon, but nope. That would have been far to obvious, and there's a reason it's just Delta and not Delta Emerald. And I couldn't use Team Magma and Aqua. This is the future, after both of their teams have attempted their respective plans, failed, and disbanded. Don't worry, I'll be sure to have some of them show up from time to time, especially Maxie. He has a rather important role in the story. I won't say anymore though, cause I don't wanna spoil anything. Also, Dennis' team, as I said before, is not based off of my own. I came up with all of this myself, so if you find any similarities between his team so far and anyone else's, that's purely coincidental.

Also, I feel I have to explain and apologize for uploading this a day late. You see, I couldn't get onto the website for some reason. I don't know if it was just the website, the place where I tried to get into it, or just my computer acting up, but the point is I couldn't upload it on Saturday like I normally do. So yeah, for those who are following me at this time, there's my explanation for not being able to upload this.

N-ways, I've got nothing else to talk about, so until next time, stay magical!

Edit: I've decided to extend the update time to every two weeks.


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